Soil and water managements and landscapes: Africa RISING science, innovations and technologies with scaling potential from the Ethiopian highlands

Lulseged Tamene (CIAT), Petra Schmitter (IWMI), Kifle Woldearegay (MU), Biyensa Gurmessa (CIAT), Zenebe Adimassu (IWMI), Kindu Mekonnen (ILRI), Fitsum Hagos (IWMI), Tesfaye Yaekob (EIAR), Aster Gebrekirstos (ICRAF), Amare Haileslassie (IWMI)

Key messages• Complementary LRWH technologies implemented across the landscape

enhanced synergies and reduced trade-offs. (Fig. 1). • Reduction in soil loss and increase in baseflow due to LRWH

interventions provide sustainable intensification options for dry season production.

• Information on irrigation scheduling advice (e.g. WFD) increases crop & water productivity in the dry season (Fig. 1B).

• Solar and service provision of water are feasible technologies for smallholder irrigation in the Ethiopian highlands.

This poster is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. January 2017

We thank farmers and local partners in Africa RISING sites for their contributions to this research. We also acknowledge the support of all donors which globally support the work of the CGIAR centers and their partners through their contributions to the CGIAR system

Objectives and approach to improve sustainable system productivity across landscapes • Problem identification through participatory approaches with stakeholders • Biophysical and socio-economic gender disaggregated data collection during

rainfed and irrigated cropping seasons• Seasonal feedback meetings and exchange visit with stakeholders• Evidence generation at different scales using different approaches (Fig. 2).• Comparison of technology performance against control/baseline

Key results• Model estimation showed average soil loss of 15 t ha-1 year.• Terraces with trenches on cropland reduced runoff and soil loss by 44%

and 52%, respectively. • Integrated soil and water conservation practices at landscape level can

reduce soil loss by over 80% and improve baseflow by 30%. • Vegetable yields increased by 55 %-83% with drip versus hoses or watering

cans whilst access to irrigation advice increased vegetable yields by 20% & vetch yield by 50% (Table 1).

• Solar & water provision are both economically feasible technologies.

Significance and scaling potential• Implementing complementary technologies across the landscape continuum

enhances synergies wile reducing tradeoffs.• Implementing technologies that provide economic, environmental and social

benefits at household and community levels enhances adoption and out-scaling.

• Climate smart interventions at landscape level both directly benefit communities and simultaneously provide ecosystem services and enhance options for dry season intensification.

• The upscaling of solar pumps throughout the country is currently being explored by a private-public partnership whilst the scheduling advice is going to be used to update national ICT advice.

Table 1: Comparison of the produces grown with different water liftingtechnologies (rope & washer (R&W), solar, tractor mounted pump) and irrigationscheduling (without (FP) and with (WFD)).

WM

Yield (t ha-1)

Control R&W Solar Tractor &drip

FP FP WFD FP FP

Cabbage 40 ± 11a 41 ± 12a 48 ± 6ab 49 ± 4b 62 ± 4c

Carrot 36 ± 8a 37 ± 10a 43 ± 7b 38 ± 10a 66 ± 5c

Oats1 - 6 ± 1a 7 ± 1ab 5 ± 1a -

Oats2 - 13 ± 3a 13 ± 2a - -

Vetch2 - 4 ± 2a 6 ± 1b - -

A B

Figure 1: (A) Integrated physical and biological options, (b) water harvesting for supplemental irrigation, (c) wetting front detector (WFD), (d) Solar pump irrigation of avocado

38%

18% 27%

70% 76% 82%

Slope > 20 %

Gully

Gully 5m buffer

Hotspots >10 Slope + Hotspots All options

BAU

Figure 2: Evidence generation through simulating the impacts of different interventions in reducing sediment yield.

Africa RISING in the Ethiopian Highlands

Core partners

(a) (b)

(c) (d)